Uncorked: Trading cattle for grapes

If you were going to create a winery, wouldn't it be nice to start from scratch? You could if you were a multimillionaire businessman like Jerry Brassfield. The son of a Fresno rancher, he left home at 19 to found his own empire — direct sales of vitamins and nutritional supplements in 50 countries, half a dozen car dealerships, restaurant stock.

In 1973, seeking a quiet refuge for his family, he bought High Serenity, a 2,500-acre cattle ranch and wildlife preserve. It was beautiful — rolling hills in a volcanic valley on the shores of Clear Lake, north and east of California's main Napa-Sonoma wine area, two hours north of Sacramento.

He meant to leave it like that. But one day, helicoptering in from work, he noticed a neighbor planting grapevines.

Soon, the cattle were sold, says winemaker Kevin Robinson, and in 1998, 350 acres were turned into vineyards. The winery followed in 2003.

With the confidence of beginners, Brassfield and Robinson decided to plant everything — pinot grigio, zinfandel, gewurztraminer, Johannisberg riesling, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, pinot noir, syrah, merlot, petit verdot, grenache, petite sirah, malbec and mourvedre.

Robinson's winemaking philosophy is simple: "I want wines that just taste good. Wines you can bring to a menu. A lot of people make bigger wines, forgetting that wines are enjoyed best with food. I try for fruit-forward wines with good acid, modest oak aging and lower alcohol."

He concedes it's possible Brassfield will follow the example of other new growers and gradually cut back production to the grapes that do best on their land.

"We might trim some out," he said. "On the other hand, we've been talking about planting some Rhone grapes, some viognier."

Highly recommended

2007 Brassfield Estate "Serenity" white wine, High Serenity Ranch Vineyard, High Valley (sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, gewurztraminer, semillon): soft, lightly sweet, with ripe pear and apple flavors; $15.

2006 Brassfield Estate Pinot Noir, High Serenity Ranch Vineyard, High Valley: black cherry and spice, full-bodied and rich; $24.

Recommended

2007 Brassfield Estate Pinot Grigio, High Serenity Ranch Vineyard, High Valley: light and crisp with floral aromas and flavors of green pears; $15.

2007 Brassfield Estate Sauvignon Blanc, High Serenity Ranch Vineyard, High Valley (85 percent sauvignon blanc, 13.5 percent semillon 1.5 percent gewurztraminer): crisp and rich with flavors of green melons and ripe pears; $16.

2005 Brassfield Estate Zinfandel, Round Mountain and Volcano vineyards, High Valley (92 percent zinfandel, 8 percent syrah): soft and hugely rich with red raspberry and chocolate flavors; $22.

2005 Brassfield Estate Merlot, High Serenity Ranch Vineyard, High Valley (77 percent merlot, 18 percent cabernet franc, 5 percent petite verdot): rich and ripe with black cherry and black pepper aromas and flavors; $23.

2004 Brassfield Estate Syrah, Round Mountain, High Valley: rich and ripe with earthy aromas and black raspberry flavors; $24.